Local

Fired city worker still gets benefits Ex-foreman gets compensation for work injury BY MICHAEL PUFFER REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

WATERBURY — Former school carpentry foreman Michael Angurio was fired in May 2010 under allegations of various misdeeds, but that hasn't stopped him from collecting payments from city taxpayers.

Angurio has collected $74,700 in workers' compensation benefits due to a work-related injury — $56,417 of it after he was fired in 2010.

The fired foreman may also be in-line for a big unemployment payout from the city, following an Oct. 1 ruling by a state Department of Labor board of review.

That ruling overturned an earlier decision allowing the city to withhold unemployment payments. The city's unemployment compensation is funded by taxpayers.

"This guy is never going to go away," an exasperated Corporation Counsel Linda Wihbey said of the Oct. 1 decision.

The city has already taken steps to appeal the state decision in Waterbury Superior Court, according to City Attorney Kevin Daly.

"The city had done nothing wrong," Wihbey said. "The city has fought every single step of the way. This is just the system."

Attempts to reach Angurio were unsuccessful. He no longer has a listed telephone in the Waterbury area.

Angurio was fired after twice signing off on a $9,750 window repair at Kingsbury Elementary School that had not actually been performed.

Officials also faulted him in the disappearance of expensive tools, for never returning a borrowed jackhammer and for disabling the GPS tracking device on his work truck.

A state officer ruled Angurio eligible for unemployment compensation in November 2011. The city appealed and in April 2012, a state appeals referee agreed with Waterbury. Angurio then appealed to the review board, where he prevailed Oct. 1.

In its decision, the state board said Waterbury failed to prove "willful misconduct."

Angurio ran the bid process that ended up in the hiring of Sebastiano Russo, a former school department glazier, to replace a 9-foot by 15-foot Kingsbury Elementary School window, according to the written decision. Russo simply removed a broken pane in a double-pane window and cashed the city's check. This wasn't discovered for more than a year.

Russo later admitted to police he didn't replace the window because he knew the school department never inspects outside work. He was ordered to repay the city, donated $2,000 to charity and serve two years probation. Nobody else was ever charged.

Another company was brought in to actually replace the window, at a cost of $3,040.

The state review board found Angurio's argument credible. The removal of the damaged pane made it appear the job had been done.

"Since the window no longer contained 'a hole,' we find that the claimant, who lacked credentials as a professional glazier, reasonably concluded that Russo properly installed a new window," reads the board's decision.

The other allegations against Angurio were not the cause of his dismissal, the state board found.

School Personnel Director Ron Frost — the city's only witness before the state referee — failed to provide proof that Angurio disabled his GPS or that he intentionally kept the jackhammer. Frost also failed to provide any details about the missing tools, according to the decision.

Angurio enjoyed some advantages during his time with the schools.

City officials, including current Mayor Neil M. O'Leary, have previously cited a cozy relationship between Angurio and former School Inspector Herbert Greengas. When Angurio was accused of stealing tools, Greengas told police there is a long tradition of allowing employees to take tools home. Angurio had performed work at Greengas' home in Hamden in 2003, fixing a roof and staining floors.

In 2008, Angurio earned $31,341 in overtime, boosting his total pay to $81,146. After Angurio's dismissal, the city also found he had been overpaid $21,377 over four years. He was not licensed by the state, but received pay as if he were a licensed foreman.

The city sued, but ended up settling for a $10,000 reduction in one of the workers' compensation payments made to Angurio, according to Wihbey.

" THIS IN INCREDIBLE,ONLY IN WATERBURY, MAYOR GOT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS .WATERBURY CITY AND ITS CORRUPT UNIONS KILLING THE TAXPAYERS ,WHO ARE PAYING FOR ALL THIS.I AM TOTALLY DISGUSTED & I AM READY TO MOVE OUT OF CT. "

" Have any of you posters ever followed this story?Just because an employer fires you when you are on workman's compensation does not automatically stop their liability.The story alludes to misappropriations by Mr. Angurio but falls short of proof. Then chief Oleary now mayor Oleary could not arrest or find cause which has led to this situation. This is the same mayor that wants to straighten out the sick and comp abuse but like in this case has lead to a larger liability note payout to an employee.This is why mayor, doctor, pd chief, or bully Oleary should use the system not abuse it himself the consequences will be greater because he knows better then the doctors.Sounds like a vendetta by the mayor here. "

" Why shouldn't this guy be treated any different than the guy that put our children in jeapardy . Because he was too lazy, and forged documents. Wasn't he arrested???.

The same goes for that other moron, who forced his employee to snow plow his driverway outside of Wtby, Again, another one that was too lazy. Curious to know what's his title is now???? and how much is it costing us taxpayers????

These two men above are more of a liability than an asset...and so is Mr Frost....it's obvious he's lazy too. Because Mr Angurio is laughing all the way to the bank, on our taxpayers acct.

It's high time Mayor O'leary puts an end to all this, and do the right thing...FIRE THESE LAZY GOOD FOR NOTHING'S "

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